Emsallam: A Different Perspective on Arabian Rap

Who is Emsallam?

Msallam Hdaib, also known as Emsallam, is a Jordanian rap artist that presents himself in a different way than the typical Arabian rapper. His unique voice and overwhelming attitude on his musical work strikes you as something intimidating at first, but behind this butch persona lies an intellectual who brings a new rhythm, rhyme, and reason to the Arabian hip hop scene.


Inspired by artists such as Tamer Nafar, his thoughts on modern hip hop are not as simple as the idea of musical fusion between western and eastern cultures. Acknowledging the importance of the cultural richness of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, he encourages new artists to not forget where they are from. Enhancing the culture is important, but in ways which fit the MENA's narrative and heritage. This is key when it comes to his general artistic efforts.

Why you should care:

From his experience as a painter, he takes his music and structures it in a way that is similar to forming a painting on a canvas. His musical work is deeply inspired by his locale, where he samples audio bites from Egyptian theater and speaks about the uneasy situations that he faces within his life within the region. When it comes to speaking about struggle, he deviates away from the traditional narrative of an Arabian struggle such as freeing Palestine or taking down corrupt political systems. Rather, he speaks of internal struggle and he acknowledges that to change the world around you, one must enhance him/herself in order to make a real difference in the world. 

Through his art and perspective, we can learn that with internal struggle comes optimism. This is the same optimism that is used to not only elevate ourselves but also the people around us. 

Emsallam on True Music: